Voluntary Dry Food Reports
For the latest news, including new recalls, the sources of the toxin, and others, go here.
Report your pet’s death or illness now.
Editor’s Note: This story has been updated since the first posting.
Several days ago, we started reading reports of dry food possibly making pets sick, specifically Iams. We then asked our readers to provide their experience to us. Here’s what we found:
Number of pets covered: 134 (47 cats, 87 dogs)
Reported ARF (Acute Renal Failure): 24 (17%) 15 cats, 9 dogs
Cat Deaths: 20 | Cat Illnesses: 26
Dog Deaths: 9 | Dog Illnesses: 77
Since our report, one DRY food from Hills has been recalled so far.
We caution you against accepting this as the final word as these are self-reported numbers from parents who have been reading about other sick or dying pets. Given the caveats, the brands that really stood out were Iams, Nutro, and Science Diet. We expected quite a few Iams reports since the survey results from posts about sick pets who ate Iams, (read about Menu Foods’ exclusive contract with Iams) but the Nutro reports seemed to have come from nowhere. Of the 5 reported deaths parents linked to Nutro, 3 were from Acute Renal Failure. 3 ARF deaths were reportedly linked with Science Diet and 7 were linked with Iams. There may be legitimate reason why some brands are on this list, for example, Science Diet may be recommended by vets to particularly sick pets.
Recall resources: Detailed timeline & facts | Recalled Food List | Get recall alerts | More
Our numbers are not enough data to make any conclusive decision, but some correlations were highly troubling. We are highly in favor of a statistically correct and significant study of dry food-related problems. And we’d love to hear your thoughts in our comments.
Important note: If you feel that dry food is causing your pet to fall ill, please contact the FDA.
Number of Specific Cat Food Brand Reported: What to feed your cat
Iams: 17 (ARF: 5 dead, 1 sick)
Purina: 6 (ARF: 1 dead)
Science Diet: 5 (ARF: 3 dead)
Nutro: 4 (ARF: 1 dead, 1 sick)
Special Kitty: 3 (ARF: 1 dead, 2 sick)
Royal Canin: 1 (No ARF)
Number of Specific Dog Food Brand Reported: What to feed your dog
ARF reported:
Iams: 21 (ARF: 1 dead, 2 sick)
Nutro: 14 (ARF: 2 dead)
Ol’Roy: 5 (ARF: 1 dead)
Eukanuba: 2 (ARF: 1 sick)
No ARF reported:
Science Diet: 4
Pedigree: 2
Purina: 2
Authority: 1
Beneful: 1
Natural Balance: 1
Trader Joe’s: 1
(For emailed alerts about future recalls and other important news, sign up for our free Itchmo Pet Safety Alert.)Report your pet’s death or illness now.
April 3rd, 2007 at 8:34 pm
I think all need to read www.howl911.com for all the new information in a whole!!! I work for a pet expert health’s website!! They have now started adding “Dingo” brand dog treats for Salonella. What everyone needs to realize is that they now say wet, dry, treats, human foods like bread are all compromized. If your dog wont do the www.barf.com diet (raw food diet) use cooked rice and/or boiled chicken or beef make enough for yourselves and your pets this is safe!!!!!! And remember they just stated today more food recalls are coming so it is advised to stay in touch withh howl911.com as they are giving more infor then the FDA. From a pet health expert who knows no one can say any of the foods are safe even ours if they have what gluten in them (thank you China) or any special K menadinoe stop feeding them all now as the food you are feeding today or eating yourself such as bread may added tomorrow!!!!!!!
April 3rd, 2007 at 8:42 pm
Nora,
Yes renal fiailure is common but not this constant ongoing rapid decline and cases in a short amount of time. If you like I worked in animal HEALTH and SICKNESS you would know the statistics on www.howl911.com do not lie!!!!
Ponder that for a bit!!! In twenty years at our office we DID do the statistics 18-years average cases yearly- 11 2006- 42 2007 to date-89
do the math!!!
April 3rd, 2007 at 9:21 pm
Ladies and Gentlemen,
PLEASE REMEMBER SIMPLE LOGIC: If you believe the media reports and the other outlets that are reporting that Wheat Gluten is the cause of all of this recall issue: Iams is one of the ONLY commercially produced pet foods that DOES NOT use wheat gluten in ANY of its dry formulas, veterinary formulas, canned veterinary formulas and any other canned product that is in pate form. Therefore, poster’s whose testimonials include that their animal was sick from Iams dry food cannot equate their pet’s sickness with the current recall.
I have fed Iams for 50 years to my Ridgebacks and am also a nutritionist for humans. Wheat gluten is virtually IMPOSSIBLE for cats to digest and next to impossible for dogs to digest, but pet food makers love it as a primary protein source because its CHEAP but HAS been approved by AAFCO (the FDA of the pet food world).
April 4th, 2007 at 12:00 pm
Ladies and Gentelmen, forget your logic, our pets are dead and dying, no matter the cause. Keep on feeding your Ridgebacks that IAMS poison. I too fed my pet IAMS for years, not any longer, she’s dead. I’ve had to bury our LOGIC with our beautiful 4 year old pet. Then explain to our 5 children why. All we are saying, is give pets a chance. We are only trying to save pets here, not their owners, we will save that for a later date.
50 years is a long time for any manufacturer not to make a mistake. IAMS been around for 50 years? If you believe in it so much, you should do as others have suggested here, EAT IT YOURSELF. Go buy yourself some P&G stocks, have a nice formal news conference with you eating that DRY IAMS pet food.
I would feel much better hearing that you ate the food and not your precious pets.
The wheat gluten is not whats been killing our pets. No one to date knows what has killed and sickened our pets. Now we have people like you that back these Giants for no particular reason at all, other than to be different. Why do we care about an official recall? Everything official has been corrupted by money. Look, they have been adding to this recall since it was first announced and has taken on a life of its own. Only wet no dry… our testimonials are all that we have at this point and wow have they made a difference. Many people who have listened and learned have been saving their pets hourly. Please don’t hamper our efforts, we mean you or your favorite product no harm.
keen without ABBY GAYLE
April 4th, 2007 at 1:43 pm
My heart goes out to every person and pet who has to suffer at all because some company is using inferior and/or tainted products. I have a 7 yr old miniature pinscher who is my world and i take very good care of him.
I have been giving him several different brands of “premium” dog food like Wellness, Innova, and most recently Nutro Ultra. In January he became extremely ill. Vomiting and diarrhea, bad breath, bleeding from both ends. he was in the vet hospital for 3 days and the vets were dumbfounded as to what was happening. He was in renal failure. They found “crystals” that I am now hearing can be caused by melamine in the food.
Anyway, he is now home doing well. He is on several different medication and i will no longer feed him any dry food. The food i am feeding him is from Halo Pets, called “Spot’s Stew”. check out their website. www.halopets.com
i buy the food at wild oats supermarkets and feel comfortable that it is free of harmful ingredients.
It is up to us, the parents and owners of our pets to voice our concern regarding pet food. One of the best ways to do this is with our wallets. Do careful research when you buy food for your pet.
Mike
April 4th, 2007 at 7:07 pm
I must make a quick comment geared more so at the initial posts than at any later ones. I work at a vet’s office and we do NOT receive any sort of perks whatsoever from Hills brand for promoting their food. Infact, we don’t suggest ANY diet to our clients and leave that entirely up to their choice. Obviously if their pet has chronic diarrhea/vomitting on a lesser known brand, we might suggest a better known brand to see. If the v/d subsides, we recommend they stay on the higher quality, if not, then we move to another brand, or another type of food.
We are deeply shocked that the recall has now added dry food (albeit just m/D feline as of today), but at the same time are not surprised. As for number of deaths/illnesses that we’ve seen, it hasn’t been that many. Of the one and only death that we have seen that MIGHT be from the diet, this pet ate a generic brand that was listed for his entire life. He never ate ANY of top brands. The only reason we cannot say 100% that his death was due to the food, is that no necropsy was performed at the request of the owners and therefore no tissue sampling was evaluated. We have seen fewer than 5 illnesses that MIGHT have been from the recalled food and needed IV fluids. Of these 5 illnesses, only 1 required continual care longer than 2 days.
At an urging on behalf of my parents, I had my dog (13 years) and 1 cat (3 years) blood and urine tested. My cat showed elevated kidney/liver values but is not sympotmatic and has NOT eaten any of the recalled brands (she’s VERY picky and only eats Fancy Feast). My dog, however, had eaten some of the brand food that was recalled, but his lot numbers and dates didn’t match those being recalled. He’s also on an NSAID year round for his arthritis - which can cause liver problems, and I am constantly monitoring his liver values to ensure he’s liver is not being compromised.
While I advise EVERYONE to keep a mindful watch over their pets and have their pet seen by a vet immediately if they seem symptomatic, I also suggest to not take what some people post as being 100% legitamite just because you want to find fault with a brand name vs a non brand name.
April 4th, 2007 at 9:08 pm
I would like to thank everyone who writes in because all information is critical to saving our pets this site has been more helpful than any research I have done. My guys were on Iams food but I thank god for the information and they are okay.
April 4th, 2007 at 9:54 pm
I’m afraid that too many people trust what the media tells them and don’t know the facts. For example, people are still buying Science Diet….they say because “the ones they are buying are not on the list”. They are simply too lazy to do any research and don’t seem to know anything about the unethical attitude and lack of remorse of this company. And even if they did, would they take a stand? Probably not. Complacency has set in. It wasn’t their pet who suffered, so they don’t care where they spend their money. I fear that this will be like every other tragedy that occurs, and the status quo will be resumed shortly, all will be forgotten, and these companies will continue to thrive because of people’s ignorance.
I have searched high and low, leaving no stone unturned, and have not found a single food that is right…neither canned (and I refuse to consider anything associated with Menu, except for Natura who is going to be disassociating with them soon) or dry, not even the organics and naturals in the highest price ranges that are supposedly the most premium foods made. They all have something wrong with them. Potatoes. tomatoes, apples, cranberries, onion, garlic, excess amounts of fish or liver, excess grain, too much phosphorus or ash, etc. These are bad for cats and some of them are even deadly. I have now given up and have concluded that my cat will slowly die, because I do not have anything truly healthy to feed him. Even a raw diet or homemade diet is susceptible to problems. Why do these “health focused” pet companies put the above mentioned ingredients in their foods when they are so bad for the animals? I just don’t get it. Do they think that because people eat cranberries or use them for ITIs, that now it is good for a cat on a daily basis? It’s NOT! In fact it can cause them serious health problems, as can the other mentioned ingredients. For example, potatoes and apples are extremely high in pesticides (many companies using them are not “organic”), and even people should not eat them every day. Neither are they a part of the feline natural diet, and can be harmful and toxic. Tomatoes can be toxic to cats and cause severe gastrointestinal problems. Onions and garlic garlic more commonly used) can irreversibly destroy a cats blood cells. Yet, these companies who are in the business of making foods for our pets don’t know any this? Amazing. I think it’s more a problem of the ingredients being designed to attract people and what people think of as healthy from a human perspective, and not for the pet’s health. After all, it’s people who purchase, so they have to appeal to them. What stupidity. It’s all about money again.
I keep seeing people here asking for pet food suggestions, but they rarely get answers. That is because there is nothing out there that is perfect. If any of you know of anything, then please tell us. I am in despair.
April 5th, 2007 at 2:03 am
my dogs eat dry kibbles n bit and my 3 cat eat dry whiskas savory nuggets. Are these foods safe?im very scared because more amd more are being added to the list!
April 5th, 2007 at 2:32 am
Wesley,
Iams has been sold twice since the company was started. The recipe is not even close to its original.
Where did you purchase Iams 50 years ago? 25 years ago? This year?
April 5th, 2007 at 6:49 am
Please clearify this for me…
On 04/03/07 “Krissy” wrote in asking if Purina One was safe to feed…”Janis” replied, “Krissy its on the list.”
What does that mean exactly? Has it been posted as a recalled pet food? I have not seen it as of yet. Am I missing something?
Purina One is what I am currently feeding both my dogs although I will be switching to something else…I don’t know what yet…perhaps raw. I need to do more research. I thought I was feeding a nutritious balanced safe food…until resently.
I was using Diamond pet food up until their huge recall about a year ago.
I am deeply saddened and angry for all of you that have suffered any losses or illnesses. My heart truly goes out to each of you.
April 5th, 2007 at 9:17 am
Laura Says:
Please clearify this for me…
On 04/03/07 “Krissy†wrote in asking if Purina One was safe to feed…â€Janis†replied, “Krissy its on the list.â€
Laura, you are not missing anything. I don’t think it has been recalled….yet. That comment confused me too. Maybe she meant to say “not” on the list. However, some of the cat formulas have wheat gluten. I would NEVER feed that food to my pet.
April 5th, 2007 at 12:30 pm
Kalina, I believe you are 100% correct. We, as consumers, have left the research and development of our food supply to the greedy. How many companies are in business to lose money? Money, being the root of all evil, has directed these companies to manufacture profitable products, not healthy products. Look at the HUMAN JUNK FOOD INDUSTRY! It’s about profit and profit alone. I suppose there may be a company or two that makes good food for both humans and pets, I’m not privy to them. For some unknown reason, people think that because they use a product and it seems to do no harm means that it the best. They reccomend it to friends and family as if they were the ones making the profit. I can’t understand this human factor… The reality is that most things man made are susceptible to flaw because of this Human Money factor. Time to start…
keen in memory of Abby Gayle (keen@mac.com)
April 5th, 2007 at 7:12 pm
At the time of the Diamond pet food recall all I could think of was…what will I feed my dogs now. I didn’t understand what the ingredients on the dog food bags were. You may think I am naive to even say this but I thought the pet food industry was under some goverment standard as to the quality of the products they used.
Now that almost every pet food has been (directly or indirectly) compromised, I have had to do some research and I am so shocked as to what I’ve found.
Meat-by-products…organs and parts not fit for human consumption including blood, bones, intestines, heads, feet and feathers.
Corn…very difficult for animals to digest.
Food fragments…like brewer’s rice…the ending waste from the alcohol industry.
Meat and bone meal…ground up bones that are poorly digested not to mention have very little nutritional value.
Animal fat…the garbage restaurants throw away as no longer used for human consumption as oils and fats.
Sweeteners…like corn syrup. In dog food? Sure, they have to put something in there to make the animals want to eat it.
Chemical preservatives…do I need to explain this one, folks?
These are the things that I feel comfortable speaking of. Some other things I’ve found they are calling “meat” is enough to make you vomit. I’ll probably have nightmares for weeks.
Mr. Keen…you are very well educated and have done your homework on this issue. Please share the info you have found pertaining to what is actually considered safe and healthy for us to fed our pets. Your imput would be greatly appreciated.
April 5th, 2007 at 8:03 pm
I used to feed my cats dry Nutro Complete. My 12 yo cat lost 4 pounds in 3 months. All tests in January came back normal at the vet, but I was still very concerned. When my 4 yo cat started having diarrhea, I stopped the Nutro complete dry cat food. Both are doing much better - no more Nutro. Very scary.
April 5th, 2007 at 9:01 pm
There has been another recall. This time it’s a large variety of dog treats and chews. See this page for the details. Scroll down for the chart of recalled products.
http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/.....01600.html
This isn’t over folks. If you’re feeding your pet anything with wheat gluten in it, recalled or not, I suggest that you stop immediately. I’m also very concerned about the possibility of undeclared wheat gluten in pet foods. Why the heck is it taking them so long to trace this stuff? I guess the best safety net for now is to stop feeding all pet foods. Read more on the “latest news” page on this website.
April 5th, 2007 at 9:06 pm
OOPS!! That link above is the wrong one. Ugh, I hate when that happens! Read here instead:
http://www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmr.....04_07.html
April 5th, 2007 at 9:18 pm
More on the latest recall:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories.....3381.shtml
April 6th, 2007 at 9:00 am
people need to switch to organic food for there animals. i just switch from authority to blue spa select.it cost more money, but its better for youre pets.
April 6th, 2007 at 10:17 pm
Everyone needs to realize that wheat gluten is a key ingredient in a LOT of pet foods and since it’s been singled out as THE culprit, they are going to be doing a lot of research (at THEIR expense) to see if their food has this contaminated product. As of right now, I think more and more foods are going to be recalled until all companies are sure that their products contain safe wheat gluten (or safe whatever product that might have also been contaminated).
If you insist on switching to a raw diet PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE make sure you consult your veterinarian and keep them informed because if you do not prepare the diet specifically (ESPECIALLY for cats who MUST have taurine in their diet!), you can cause more harm to your pet than feeding a commerical diet that’s NOT currently on the recalled list. Your pet must have certain vitamins and minerals added to a raw diet to compensate for what would otherwise be lacking in their diet. Think of it this way, if you’re a vegetarian/vegan, generally your doctor will inform you to take multi-vitamins on a daily basis as most vegetarian/vegan products don’t contain enough of the vital vitamins. Granted more and more veg/vegan products are adding these diets, but it’s b/c of research that shows these are needed.
April 6th, 2007 at 10:29 pm
http://avma.org/press/releases....._diets.asp
This is the American Veterinary Medical Assosciation website’s page about raw/homemade diets.
And with suggestions from the AVMA, check out http://www.petdiets.com/defaul.....=/main.asp if you insist on a raw diet. This site also lists myths and FAQs about raw diets.
April 7th, 2007 at 8:26 am
How in the hell can one company make so many different brands of pet food and why?
April 7th, 2007 at 8:32 am
Dog Passed away Sunday was fed Ol Roy treats Purina Kibbles and bits canned. was not sickly, had all the poisoning symptoms during the night into Sunday am.
April 7th, 2007 at 8:32 am
almost forgot I am in Central NJ 08520
April 7th, 2007 at 8:34 am
Dry food my wife forgot to mention was Ol’Roy lamb and Rice , DOg suffered neddlessly, the treats should have been recalled in the begining when they knew!
April 7th, 2007 at 9:35 am
I have been following the recall closely.
The thing that all the toxic food has in common is the gluten that came from China.
Yet, some of these reports are of dry food that do not have any gluten in them at all, nor were they manufactured at MenuFood.
How can this be explained?
April 7th, 2007 at 9:45 am
I have never fed gluten of any kind to my dogs or cats. It is not food for them by any stretch of the imagination. So mine were spared, at least this time.
Gluten is the isolated, protein part of the plant. It allows the manufacturer to place a higher % of protein on the label. However, it is not suitable protein for a carnivore. They need MEAT protein, or they will get sick eventually, over the long haul. Plant protein is cheaper than meat protein. It is as simple as that. It all boils down to money. However, the higher end foods never manage on passing the savings along to the consumer.
You must learn to read labels, and educate yourselves on feeding your dogs and cats.
Do not feed gluten of any kind, even when they find a “safe” source. The same can be said for soybean. This is not safe for carnivores, under the best of conditions.
And it isn’t just the cheap, grocery store brands that are guilty of this.
Science Diet is one of the worst, not only with the gluten and soybean, but with BHT, BHA, Ethoxyquin. Many of your top, expensive, “super premium” foods are nothing short of criminal.
They will do practically anything to keep from putting any amount of meat in the product.
If you want healthy pets, please educate yourselves.
April 7th, 2007 at 12:45 pm
I am so sorry for your loss Jim and Lori.
April 7th, 2007 at 1:26 pm
Hello, I have been researching dog food nutrition for several years at least two years and I am willing to help people who have questions about what would be a good dog food to feed their dog in terms of budget, what you want and stuff. I give a lot of recommendations on what are some good dog foods try. I don’t just give you one brand that’s good I’ll give you several brands. With a dog that has food allergies and a very very sensitive stomach I know how troublesome it can be to find a dog food that fits your needs and wants. If you have any questions about dog food I love to help. I also love to talk about dog food nutrition.
abratnamednoel@aol.com
April 7th, 2007 at 1:28 pm
Oh yes, I can also give you advice on what to look for in a good dog food brand.
April 7th, 2007 at 11:54 pm
I see a lot of people asking what to feed their animals. I was feeding NutroMax and Science Diet, and have stopped both dry and wet. This recall is insanity, and the manufacturers are lying to us day after day. This weekend will likely be the demise of many animals because they dropped the ball on Easter, and haven’t told anyone about the dangers of dry as well as wet food. I assure you, EVERYTHING with wheat gluten is tainted. 783 tons of the stuff was distributed or sold or whatever through the chinese and a Las Vegas company. The FDA refused to tell us this for a week. Write them. Not email, a letter. Write your senators and congressmen. Go to PetConnection.com and you’ll find all the info you need. Do this people! They are murdering our loved ones and will not stop until we dent their pockets and get our senators involved.
Natural Balance and Blue Buffalo are available at Petco and Petsmart respectively. They never have used wheat gluten and are on the safe list found on petconnection. As for wet food, I boiled some plain white rice, a lb of hamburger, some carrots, onions, garlic, and mixed it together to substitute for wet. My dog wouldn’t eat just plain dry, he’s a bit spoiled. Go to your vet and ask for supplemental vitamins to add to this home recipe and I think that’s pretty good for a wet food. There are links on petconnection for these recipes, they’re cheap and easy but make sure you add vitamins and use the safe dry food.
To all those who have lost pets my heart goes out to you. petconnection has some support groups listed, lighthouse something or other, for pet losses. My little Chi fought off 4 rotts 3 weeks ago, survived, and that was a day after the recall was announced. After having survived that, I don’t know what I would have done if the recall killed him. He’s my best friend, my little love, and saved my life. Please, do not feed any of the food listed, dry or wet, and use the alternatives suggeseted. There are more out there, but the puppy chows and iams and purinas are poison. Don’t ask what’s safe anymore because nothing is that has ever had wheat gluten. Not to mention the euthanized animals and road kill they can use for fillers and by-products. This is a tainted market, not just the food.
Let’s put a stop to this and stop buying anything but food that has always been safe. The “Oh, it’s safe now” is a lie and will kill your animals. The FDA swore up and down no dry food was affected only to recant that the next day and pull some dry cat food. As a rule, if it was never safe it never will be. There are plenty of other safe foods you can get online, and the two I mentioned above at local pet stores.
Go to petsitusa.com for a list of manufacturers and what they’re about. It’s a comprehensive list and is updated regularly as they call the companies. Always make sure you refresh this site, and don’t go to it from a link (like here) because it is updated all the time. Again, boycott, write your sentaors, buy only foods that have always been safe.
Best of luck to all of you. If we stick together in this we can get them to change their policies. Don’t forget to call your LOCAL FDA as well. Numbers are found on the FDA website for your state.
Jami
April 8th, 2007 at 1:12 am
Hello,
I haven’t yet had time to read all of the entries, but thought this information may be of use. My 8 yr. old cat suffered from acute renal failure in mid February and recovered after spending 7 days/nights at the animal hospital. She was fed only dry Iams her entire life. Her creatinine levels were so high that the vets instruments could not measure them. We were repeatedly told these “levels” could not sustain life. These measurements were taken on 3 different machines. What caused this has been a complete mystery especially since Iams dry is not recalled and Iams claims their dry cat food contains no wheat gluten. Does anyone else have more information or similar circumstances?
April 8th, 2007 at 1:27 am
I have one more concern. If you have a pet that was killed, were you feeding your pet from a new bag? Or did you get to the bottom of an old bag only to have a sudden onset of symptoms? If the animals had been fed a couple times from a tainted bag, I am wondering how long before the vomiting occurs. Some people say almost immediately.
Your reply is appreciated, and again, I am sorry for your losses. This is so very sad. It makes me cry to read these stories.
April 8th, 2007 at 1:30 am
Allen,
Throw away all your dry food or try and get a refund. I read that the LOCAL FDA’s are interested in testing the food, and will come get it from you. Keep a sample in your freezer though. But STOP FEEDING your animals any of the tainted food. Please read my comment above yours.
Jami
April 8th, 2007 at 11:18 am
I’ve been reading all these posts & my heart goes out to all of you who have lost pets with this tainted food.
I believe with all my heart that the dry food is tainted & the manufacturers chose not to recall them because it would ruin their reputation & open themselves to lawsuits. I also heard rumblings about a local pet store removing all of Iams dry & replacing them with new bags…..which reinforces my theory that they knew the food was tainted but refused to go public with this information. Makes me furious to think they could be that cold.
I have a Lab who was on Nutro Ultra dry (all natural….ha) right before the recall. I had just switched her to Blue Buffalo when I heard Nutro Ultra wet had been recalled. Can’t be all natural if Menu Foods was making it! Sort of makes you wonder if they don’t make all the wet food the same & put different labels on them. Then I started reading some of the posts on different websites about animals sickened or dying from dry food…..scared me enough to bring my dog in for blood tests. She’s ok, thank God.
Before the recall, I’d say in Nov or so, my neighbors had a cat get really sick & all it ate was Iams dry. Had never been sick before this. They had the cat put to sleep as it was very ill…..lethargic, not eating & drinking tons of water. They gave the bag to another neighbor. She had one adult cat & some kittens……kittens all died & the adult cat got very sick. She did say she did feed some wet food in pouches a time or two but had no idea what she used. I still say it was the Iams dry.
All of us are very angry & the only way to make these people pay is to not buy their products. I made a copy of all the recalled food & will never use any of it again, either wet or dry. If these people knew their food was making animals sick & chose to keep it to themselves & switch the bags for new bags secretly, then they are sleaze-balls & should be put out of business.
Sorry for getting on my soap-box but I needed to have my say. I’m still looking for a holistic brand of dry dog food…..have read something recently about some chemical in Blue Buffalo that is not good for our animals so I want to get my dog onto something decent, if there is such a thing.
April 8th, 2007 at 11:41 am
Our dog corky (boston terrier) started getting sick around christmas time. He was throwing up white mucus and got very bloated. He was choking alot. We took him to vet and was told that it was excessive water around lungs and heart and that he was near death. we have been giving him water pills to help with the water, but he is still bloated. Wondering if this is from him eating science diet or wysong 50/50 mix. He was on this before and had no problems, but these were new bags that were purchased in december.
We have to buy medicine for him every 15 days and it is getting rather expensive, my kids say my husband has spent more on this dog than we did on them. I have decided as of today that we will fix him people food and see if that will help. scared to give him any of the brands we now have. we recently purchased purina one natural blends, but i find some of the ingredients are what others say are bad.
I want to offer condolences to all who have lost their pets. I know if corky succumbs to this it will break my husbands heart.
April 8th, 2007 at 1:24 pm
My boyfriend and I have 5 dogs between the two of us. Both of us feed our dogs the Hill Country Fare brand dry dog food from HEB in S. Texas. The canned and pouch food is on the recall list. The dry food doesn’t have wheat gluten. It does have wheat middlings and corn gluten.
Our shared puppy died yesterday morning. Thursday night, he went home and she was not a playful as usual. Precious just wanted to cuddle. The next night when he got home from work, she could barely lift her head. He couldn’t get her to eat. He even tried people food. He did get her to drink some milk. Then yesterday she was gone. During the middle of the night, the other puppy started vomiting. Now Play moans everytime he moves. He did eat a little bit of bologna and peas, but won’t drink anything.
The bigger dogs seem to be doing fine though. Oh, and my boyfriend found blood recently near where the dogs sleep, but found no source for the blood.
We don’t have money for vet bills right now. So if anyone knows what we can do to keep another dog from dying, please email me.
midwifemom@usawide.net
Thanks.
April 8th, 2007 at 2:05 pm
If you’re reading this and have a sick pet, will you please email me and let me know if you were feeding from a new bag or an old bag? Also, if your pet was sick but was successfully treated what you did and if you took your pet to the vet. Thanks. I am reading a lot and trying to get this info out to everyone I can. jamilynne1@gmail.com
April 8th, 2007 at 2:08 pm
Sorry, me again. Please go to the following web site and go to the call for action link. There is a drafted letter here that you can add your senators and congressmans name to and mail it off. Please, emailing them is okay but send letters too. If you can only do one or the other snail mail the letters. This is the only way we can get the FDA to pick up the ball they dropped, and make them do something to ensure the safety of our beloved pets.
http://www.mousabilities.com/n.....paign.html
April 8th, 2007 at 2:11 pm
Here’s another link to a petition and addresses to contact your representatives. Please do this everyone. It’s our responsibility because our animals can’t do it for themselves.
http://letsgetmotivated.typepad.com/
April 8th, 2007 at 2:23 pm
In January I lost my Socks, 7yr old cat. He died within 5 hours, same symptons as Toni’s pup. His cries started about 6pm but beause I live in a very rural area I knew of no emergency services in the area. I do now but it is 1 & half hours away. Had an autopsy which a local Vet did in less then 5 minutes reporting his lungs were fillled with fluid and guessed he might have had a tumor. $ 75- and no written report.
Then my Tiger, cat from the same litter, on a Sunday in February became so ill, unable to to walk, I knew he was going to die. Called same vet, we met at his office, After an overnight stay where Vet opened up his ureathea finding fluid, crystals, and blood. $ 500+ later he is still not fully recovered today. My cats have been fed canned Cadillac cat food and Friskies dry food.
I keep trying to be on top of the recalls. I feel every day another shoe will drop and run the possibility of losing another family member. I also have Great Pyreneese dogs. There is no information on the Purina Pro Plan -Large breed dry food! I am so worried every day when I check these sites. Reading labels is an exercise in fultility/bogus because whatever is killing our pets/family members is not listed! Can you picture ingredients listed: ‘Rat Poison’ or ‘wheat gluten w/ melamine, etc. ?
April 8th, 2007 at 8:52 pm
I, lost 2 dogs both suffered both were fed PURINA PRO-PLAN and DOG CHOW .
The vet did everything they were taken to the vet as soon as they acted funny the first died within days at the vets the other hung on for a month being tested for everything she died at home .
path reports how toxins purina say they are sorry, but thats all they wont look into anything they would not even look at my vet records or the path report .
I will never use PURINA again .
April 8th, 2007 at 9:32 pm
Jami,
Our cat became ill after we began feeding a new bag of Hill’s Prescription c/d DRY. On one of the threads on the pet connection, it was mentioned that pet food manufacturers can substitute ingredients, such as substitute wheat gluten for corn gluten if the wheat is cheaper, without having to change the labels immediately. I think the person said the label has to be changed in 6 months–I guess only if they continue to make that substitution. Sooooo—– perhaps wheat gluten is really in some of the dry food people have been having trouble with. All dry food as well as all wet food definitely needs to be tested. Our cat ate only dry Hill’s. He would not touch wet. We even tried raw food and cooked food for him after he became ill, but he was too sick by then to touch any of it. He had to be euthanized in late January. At the time the vet was puzzled by his rapid decline. He spent a week on IV’s at the vets and came home for 5 days before we agreed to his being euthanized. He had had difficulty walking and had a seizure prior to going on the iv’s. He had been at the vet’s 3 days in a row prior to the IV’s and the first day all the blood work was fine. I had just begun to accept his death as one of those freak things, but now I am so angry that he was poisoned. I also feel guilty because we fed him the poison. We must unite and hold these companies accountable for what they have done. Thank you for all your efforts to encourage people to contact their congressmen or women. We need to keep this in front of the media as well.
April 8th, 2007 at 11:16 pm
People, feed your friends, people food if you love them! If you consider your pets possessions, then feed them commercial pet foods. They do not know what the hell has sickened and killed our pets today, what will happen tommorow. Sorry if I’m sounding disgusted, but I am. Lost my beautiful pet to this awful mess and now I found that I have some screwed up cancer. Very depressed with little hope in site, but in site it is.
keen without our friend Abby Gayle
April 9th, 2007 at 12:06 am
I just finished reading these resent posts. I am so sickened by all this.
I am very sad for all of you that have suffered any illnesses or losses of your beloved pets. I can’t even imagine the heartache you are feeling right now.
My thoughts also are with you Mr. Keen…sorry to hear of your health issues. I hope you will find comfort in knowing that sometimes cancer can be beaten.
April 9th, 2007 at 6:56 am
I have a German Shep who had allergies. I felt helpless because he was bald and itching all the time. I am also a dog groomer and could not help my own dog. Three months ago I eliminated wheat beef and corn from all of my dogs’ diet and they are all healthier now. My GSD’s fur has all grown back(some areas hadn’t had fur for a couple years) and he looks great. I believe his allergy saved all of my dogs from illness. I would like to express my deepest sympathy to all who have lost a “child” in all of this mess. I have suffered the loss of a pet and still am not over it 4 years later. Something like this should never have happened. I feed my all of my pets Nature’s Recipe because they don’t put beef, wheat, or corn in their food. They also have less chemicals and fillers. I hope this helps some of you out there. I also DO NOT fedd wet food. If I want to add some thing extra to their food I boil chicken brest.
April 9th, 2007 at 12:44 pm
Our dog died within days of opening a new bag of Iams dry mini chunks. This was Feb. 15. She died Feb. 19th.
The Wednesday before she died, I could tell she was a bit down. She had diarhea and vomited. She was still playfull though. I didn’t know about the recall. She had always been healthy and I just thought she had an upset stomach.
Saturday morning she ate a good bit of her Dry Iams and threw up the whole amount along with having diahrea at the same time.
I let her out and minutes later she was having a seizure and died in my arms.
It was very sudden. Our vet felt like it would only take 3 or so feedings from tainted food.
April 9th, 2007 at 3:10 pm
I have a cat that the lab results just came back today…yep…add us to the list. I do think that my cat hopefully will survive, we go back today for another test. Also one of my dogs that licks the cat food can is now ill as well and will be tested today.
The food…not on the recall list…Friskies. It has wheat gluten in it. I emailed them but they never responded.
April 9th, 2007 at 3:34 pm
Thank you, just for being there. It’s been very hard tying to find the truth behind these ugly lies. There are many here who have very sick pets and have lost a real family member to this disaster. Many of these reports happened long before the official recalls and these seemingly official recalls continue to grow daily both wet and dry.
The only truth here is, commercial pet food sucks, wet or dry! Please, help save our friends pets by harping on them about what they are doing to their animals with that commerical stuff. Keep up this good work and continue seeking answers. I will not be able to post for a while, Dr. wants me to be a little less agitated and let stronger minds take over. Gotta save my energy. If it’s not to much to ask, could someone please keep me posted on our struggle.
keen just remembering
April 9th, 2007 at 3:35 pm
keen@mac.com